Date Presented 4/19/2018
Homeless parents completed a 6-wk occupational therapy program at an emergency homeless shelter that addressed self-identified goals to improve work readiness skills. Significant gains in self-identified work readiness skills were revealed using goal attainment scaling as the outcome measure.
Primary Author and Speaker: Winifred Schultz-Krohn
Additional Authors and Speakers: Robert Carey, Ryan Dail, Paul Endish
PURPOSE: Homeless families constitute nearly half of the total sheltered homeless population. Changes in welfare reform began in 1996, when the Personal Response and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act replaced Aid to Families With Dependent Children with the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) state grant programs. TANF program recipients can qualify for federal aid for a maximum of 5 yr. During the first 2 yr, recipients must participate in “workfare” programs in order to continue receiving benefits.
Homelessness has adverse effects on individuals, families, and society. Effective, evidence-based interventions are needed that address the needs of this underserved population. Given that transitioning out of homelessness is virtually impossible without a job, interventions facilitating employment may be a solution. The homeless population faces a variety of barriers to obtaining employment that occupational therapy practitioners may be uniquely qualified to address. Although the profession has a history of working with the homeless population, limited evidence has addressed the effectiveness of occupational therapy services in shelters to develop work readiness skills. This pilot investigation used systematic and client-centered occupational therapy services to help homeless parents develop work readiness skills.
METHOD: This quasi-experimental pretest–posttest pilot investigation recruited parents residing in a homeless family shelter to participate in occupational therapy services to foster work readiness skills. Ten parents participated, ranging in age from 25 to 51. None of the participants were employed, but more than half had previous work experience. Services were provided at the family shelter 2×/wk for 6 wk. Only parents who completed the consent process were included in the results. All participants completed specific portions of the Ansell-Casey Life Skills Assessment and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and developed individual goals with a graduate occupational therapy student to address work readiness skills. Goal attainment scaling (GAS) was used to rank achievement of each goal in incremental steps. Each participant rated his or her skills using GAS at the beginning and on completion of the 6-wk intervention. Occupational therapy intervention services were designed using both group and individual sessions to support each participant’s specific goals.
RESULTS: Using GAS as the outcome measure, participants identified significant improvements (p = .004) on their individual goals. They improved on or completed many of their self-identified goals related to work readiness by the end of the occupational therapy work readiness program.
IMPACT STATEMENT: This pilot investigation provides initial evidence to support the role of occupational therapy services to address the underserved needs of homeless parents. Specific intervention services focused on work readiness were provided, and using individualized GAS, each parent identified gains in skills.
References
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Wehmeyer, M. L., Lattimore, J., Jorgensen, J. D., Palmer, S. B., Thompson, E., & Schumaker, K. M. (2003). The Self-Determined Career Development Model: A pilot study. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 19, 79–87.
